the custom of flattening the head prevailed more and
more. 1
Below, the scenery was less barren; the river en tered the Cascade Range, and the steep banks, along which wound the trail, grew dark with pines, relieved here and there with brighter verdure. They saw bands of Indians on the opposite shore, descending the trail along that side on the way to the council. Many were on foot, though some horses were among them. They were Indians of the nine tribes of the Klickitat, and as yet had but few horses. A century later they owned thousands. Indian women never accompanied war- parties; and Cecil noticed that some of the bands were composed entirely of men, which gave them the appearance of going to war. It had an ominous and doubtful look.
At the Wau-coma (place of cottonwoods) , the modern Hood River, they found the tribe that inhab ited that beautiful valley already on the march, and the two bands mingled and went on together. The Wau- comas seemed to be peaceably inclined, for their women were with them.
A short distance below the Wau-coma, the young Willamette s horse, urged till it could go no farther, fell beneath him. The blood gushed from its nos trils; in a few moments it was dead. The Willamette extricated himself from it. "A bad horse, cultus [no good]!" he said, beating it with his whip. After venting his anger on it in that way, he strode forward on foot.
And now Cecil was all expectation, on the alert for the first sight of the bridge.
1 Lewis and Clark. See also Irving s " Astoria."
